RTI Race Report 2012
Write-up courtesy of Dave Kneale.
Douglas Bay Yacht Club’s Polished Manx, skippered by Kuba Szymanski, endured a slow circumnavigation of the Isle of Man to win the 2012 IOMA Fund and Investment Management Round the Island Race. The event attracted 17 entries from around the Irish Sea but only four boats would finish this year’s race, hosted by the Manx Sailing and Cruising Club.
With virtually no wind in Ramsey on Sunday morning, a rain shower brought a gentle southeasterly breeze into the bay as the 10.30am start approached, allowing the race to commence and giving the fleet enough power to pass the Point of Ayre.
But the sailing would quickly become drifting as the boats found themselves in glassy conditions along the west coast.
Clyde Cruising Club’s Xanadu and Douglas Bay Yacht Club’s Polished Manx and Eauvation were able to gain a small lead, which paid dividends as they reached Peel at around 3pm. The three leaders were picked up by an eight-knot breeze which carried them down the coast, leaving the rest of the fleet at a virtual standstill.
Their advantage was short-lived as they succumbed to another windless patch around the Calf, only making progress by being carried around the course by the tide. With the wind not forecast to build until late on Sunday evening and the tides likely to turn against the rest of the fleet before they could round the Calf, the trickle of retirements became a flood by early evening until only four boats remained.
First to finish was Xanadu, skippered by Andy Knowles, completing the race at 2.13am on Monday for an elapsed time of 15 hours 13 minutes, winning the Coronation Cup as the only finisher in their class. They were followed by Szymanski’s crew aboard Polished Manx who crossed the line at 3.51am, beating Xanadu on corrected time to take the overall win and secure the Ramsey Town trophy.
The other two finishers came from the smaller boats in Division Two. Eliza Bee, skippered by Ralph Kee, finished at 7.32am, while the crew of David Grieves’ Get Kraken crossed the line in Ramsey Bay at 8.55am. With an elapsed time of 22 hours 25 minutes, Get Kraken’s crew were awarded the Copland trophy for endeavour.
2012 IOMA Fund and Investment Management Round the Island Race finishers:
Xanadu, finished 0213, elapsed time 15h 13m -won Coronation Cup, Division 2 Overall winner
Polished Manx, finished 0351, ET 17h 6m -won Ramsey Town Cup, Div 1 Overall winner
Eliza Bee, finished 0732, ET 21h 2m, won Shelagh Williams Trophy, Div 2 Class B Winner
Get Kraken, finished 0855, ET 22h 25m, won Copland Trophy for Endeavour